Chapter 182: End of monster
The monster let out an ear-splitting roar, its body trembling violently as though straining against itself.
Then, with terrifying resolve, it stabbed its own clawed hand into its abdomen.
Blood sprayed out in sickening arcs, and when the hand reemerged, it clutched a grotesque mass of blood-red crystal. The thing pulsed and shimmered ominously, veins of dark light crawling across its jagged surface like serpents.
Without hesitation, and with no dramatic pause, the monster shoved the crystal into its mouth and swallowed it whole.
Yu Xuan’s eyes narrowed. He stepped to Lingluo’s side and spoke in a low, steady voice. "This may be its ultimate move."
"You! Don’t interfere, I can handle it!" Lingluo snapped, her aura flaring in defiance.
Yu Xuan raised his hands in surrender, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite the dire situation. "Yes, yes. I know you can handle it, my amazing big sister. But we should also make sure you don’t get caught in the collateral damage."
Lingluo snorted. "Fine. I’ll try."
Her voice was sharp, but Yu Xuan could tell she accepted his words. Without wasting another breath, she charged forward.
The monster stood motionless for a moment, its body trembling, its eyes glazed in a daze. But Yu Xuan’s instincts screamed danger.
The energy radiating from it was no longer stable. Its presence ballooned, warping the air, shaking the very ground. He recognized the feel instantly — burning Life Qi(Life Energy). The monster was sacrificing its own life essence to unleash power beyond its limit.
’It’s trying to take her with it,’ Yu Xuan realized.
Lingluo didn’t hesitate. Retrieving a spear from her space ring, she flooded it with dark purple energy until it gleamed like a star of destruction.
With a sharp cry, she hurled it with all her strength. The spear shot through the battlefield like a meteor and pierced straight through the monster’s chest, shattering its defense and nailing it to the ground.
The creature shuddered, pinned to the earth. Its blood armor flickered, and its roar cracked with strain.
Lingluo advanced, her aura flaring, purple energy still burning in her hand. She wanted to end it here, before the beast could recover. But then—
The monster smiled.
A slow, twisted smile.
Both Yu Xuan and Lingluo froze for a heartbeat, their instincts screaming in unison. An ominous omen coiled in the air, pressing down on them like a storm about to break.
Yu Xuan’s expression hardened. He sprinted forward, his voice cutting the air. "Sister, wait—!"
But Lingluo was already moving. Determined to erase that mocking smile, she summoned her sword from her space ring in a flash. With a clean, decisive motion, she beheaded the monster.
For the briefest instant, it felt like triumph. The head rolled, the crimson glow in its eyes dimming.
Then everything went wrong.
The monster’s corpse began to convulse, power surging violently out of control. The severed neck glowed as though it were a furnace about to erupt. The smirk still lingered on its dead lips, a final mockery.
Yu Xuan reacted instantly. His telekinesis exploded outward, gripping the twitching corpse and hurling it as far away as possible.
"Sister, down!" he shouted, rushing to her side.
Lingluo’s eyes widened, understanding at once. She planted her feet firmly while Yu Xuan retrieved a massive shield from his space ring. Together, they braced behind it as he anchored the artifact into the earth.
The corpse ignited.
BOOM!
The explosion ripped the night apart. A blinding light surged outward. A deafening shockwave followed, flattening trees and tearing apart the landscape.
A colossal mushroom cloud rose into the sky, drowning the battlefield in destructive fury. For an instant, the blood-red moon was swallowed by the clouds.
Yu Xuan’s shield groaned, cracks forming across its surface as the wave slammed against it. The ground beneath them shattered and split, rocks flying like shrapnel.
When the light finally dimmed and the air cleared, the shield was half-buried, glowing red-hot from strain. Smoke curled into the night sky, carrying the bitter scent of blood and ash.
Yu Xuan exhaled slowly, lowering the shield. His heart pounded, though his face remained calm. Beside him, Lingluo panted, her eyes still blazing with purple fire.
Even though he didn’t show it he had used his [Telekinesis] to it’s fullest making a small defensive dome, around them while also supporting the shield. This explosion was really deathly.
Yu Xuan felt a mild headache.
The battlefield was silent, save for the crackle of burning earth. The monster was gone utterly obliterated.
Yu Xuan glanced at his sister, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Next time, maybe listen to me a little earlier, hm?"
Lingluo smirked back, despite the blood on her face and the fatigue in her limbs. "If I listened every time, you’d get boring."
The siblings shared a brief laugh amidst the destruction. They were totally crazy.
Lingluo stretched, her body finally loosening after the endless strain of battle.
"Ah, I’m really tired now. I want to sleep."
Yu Xuan gave her a sideways glance, then looked around at the devastation.
"This is really not a place to rest," he said flatly.
Despite his words, the two of them started walking, moving past the cracked ground and charred remains of the fight. Their steps were careful, their senses still sharpened; neither forgot they were in a trial where enemies could strike at any moment.
Along the way, Yu Xuan paused occasionally to mark the trees, etching faint, deliberate cuts into the bark, marking them.
Lingluo, on the other hand, was far less concerned. She dragged her feet a little, her purple hair swaying behind her as she muttered, "Sleep... sleep..."
Her body craved rest after the ferocity she had unleashed. Her eyelids drooped, and if not for Yu Xuan’s steady presence, she might have simply collapsed where she stood.
’She fought almost all night without pause,’ Yu Xuan thought, his eyes softening as he glanced at her. ’Tonight’s MVP is definitely her. She deserves a rest more than anyone.’
Finally, he stopped at a clearing tucked between two massive trees whose roots knotted together, forming a natural alcove. The place was sheltered, quiet, and relatively safe.
"Let’s rest here," Yu Xuan said, his tone leaving no room for debate.
Lingluo blinked at him, clearly too tired to argue.
"If you want to rest too, wake me after some time," she murmured, her words slurred with exhaustion.
Without even bothering to clean herself, she slumped against one of the trees, closed her eyes, and within a minute, her breathing slowed into the steady rhythm of sleep.
Yu Xuan crouched beside her, studying her peaceful face. Her hair, still tinted with streaks of purple, fell loosely across her cheek. Dried blood stained her skin, marring her natural beauty.
With a small sigh, he reached into his space ring and retrieved a simple handkerchief. Carefully, gently, he began wiping the blood from her face.
Her brow furrowed faintly at the touch, but she didn’t wake. The exhaustion ran too deep.
Yu Xuan paused, then chuckled softly to himself.
His mother had practically stuffed his space ring full of supplies before sending him off — bandages, handkerchiefs, even cooking tools. At the time, he had complained, saying she was over-preparing him like a child. (He is really a child.)
But now, as he wiped his sister’s face clean, he couldn’t help but feel a quiet warmth.
Mothers always knew best.